That Time Of The Month
by AvocadoLove
Summary: Gender-Swap Zutara. Zuka knows Katarr would never really understand. It's just not easy being a girl, sometimes.


**Notes: Written a few months back, but just getting around to uploading today. I'm getting all my backlog uploaded while I work on -_ahem_- other series I'm somewhat (horribly) behind on. This is a Zutara oneshot of the gender-swapped verity.**

********

"No! No! NO!" Zuka's voice echoed around and around the Air Temple's courtyard making it seem like ten angry firebenders were yelling, instead of just the one.

Aang paused in his stance, sighed, and stood up fully to ask what he had done wrong _this time_. He need'ent have bothered; Zuka was already striding towards him, anger in her every step.

"Tell me, Avatar," she growled. "Why do I bother wasting my time teaching you?"

"I'm trying!"

"No you're not! We've been over this move four times today, and you obviously haven't been listening to one word I'm saying! This," and she mimed the move that had irked her so — a straight chop down from a spinning kick, "is a finishing move. A final move. You're treating it like you're patting a cake! What's wrong with you?"

"I…I…" Aang stammered, looking everywhere but the angry princess. Just over Zuka's shoulder, off to the side, he caught sight of Katarr watching the entire exchange. Aang looked towards the waterbender hopefully.

Zuka swung around, saw Katarr, and scowled. "What are you looking at him for? Is he your firebending teacher? No!" she snapped, before Aang could muster a reply. "Now get out there. Do the move again, Aang, and this time I want it done RIGHT."

"Actually," Katarr's deep voice rumbled, "Teo says that he needs Aang for a bit." He walked over between them, and put a large hand on Aang's narrow shoulder. "Something about getting up to the high levels of the temple for some mechanical thing they're doing."

Zuka's scowl deepened, highlighting her scar. But even she had to admit that the shadows were getting long across the ground; it was almost time for firebending practice to end anyway. "Fine," she said, shortly. "Go then, if that's what you want to do." She then turned away in clear dismissal.

The grin of relief on Aang's face could have lit up a room. "Thank you Sifu hotwoman!" he chirped, bowing to her back. And just because he was so happy to be free of the raging firebender, he bowed to Katarr as well before running off.

Katarr smiled — a smile that faded the moment Aang was out of earshot. "Do you think it's really necessary to be so harsh on him?"

Zuka whipped around, pure fire in her eyes. "I don't advise you on your teaching methods, waterbender." She snarled the last word the same way in which she had once snarled the word 'peasant'. "I'll thank you not to question the way I teach my pupil."

"I haven't had a reason to question your methods, up until today." Katarr was large and gentle, but Zuka always had a way of getting under his skin where no other could. Maybe it had to do with opposite elements. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she sailed a ship literally into his village. Now he felt his eyes narrowing and he looked down at the princess, arms crossed.

"We only have a month until Sozin's comet arrives!"

"And yesterday we had a month and one day, and you were much more patient with him. What's changed now?"

"Nothing! Everything! I just—" She ran a hand through her shaggy black hair, disordering it further. But Katarr noticed the way her hand slipped down and stilled, just for a moment, on her lower stomach. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. Get out of my way." She tried to push past him, but he caught her elbow. Their eyes met and Zuka tried to jerk away. "Let go of me! Don't touch me!" She jerked back again, but she wasn't trying very hard. Katarr just held her in his firm, gentle grip, watching her.

"You're in pain."

"Shut up! Leave me alone, Katarr or I swear I'll—"

"What?"

But Zuka didn't have an answer to that. At least not a verbal one. Amazingly, shockingly, she burst into tears.

Now Katarr did let go of her, if only out of surprise. Zuka was not the crying sort of girl; even less than Toph who was certainly NOT the feminine type. Zuka had always seemed to him to embody the very nature of fire: Hot-blooded, impulsive, passionate, determined, quick… tough.

And here she was, not a foot away from him, sinking down to the ground, determinedly pushing tears away from her good eye… but weeping all the same.

"Go away!" she sobbed. "Just go away and be nice to someone else you stupid, brutish…" The rest of the words were lost; she had put her hands to her face as if to hide herself, as if ashamed.

That more than anything else made up Katarr's mind. He sat next to the crying girl and put a hand to her shoulder. When she didn't flinch back, he slowly drew her in. As hugs went, it was awkward… between two people who had only barely started trusting each other it could be nothing else. But Zuka's weeping subsided, and Katarr couldn't help but notice how almost pleasantly warm she felt against his chest.

"It's okay," Zuka said at last. Although she didn't move.

Katarr's eyes were drawn to a gap in Zuka's raven hair; a point on the back of her neck where he could see a sliver of pale skin. He didn't know why, but he wanted to touch that spot, maybe rub there and ease some of Zuka's tense muscles.

The knowledge that it would be highly inappropriate held him back… just.

"Oh?" he asked instead, hand traveling from Zuka's shoulder to her fairly muscled arm and giving it a squeeze.

"You wouldn't understand."

"You keep saying that."

Now Zuka drew back and faced him. Her unscarred fair cheek was blotchy, and her good eye was puffy. She gave an indignant sniff, as if realizing her state, and bit her lower lip. "Don't tell the others about this? I… I just get a little angry, you know… around this time."

Katarr stared at her, not understanding.

"You know," Zuka said again. "It's a… _monthly_ reoccurrence."

"Oh… Oh!" He nearly slapped a palm to his own forehead. Stupid, stupid! He was a healer, wasn't he? How come he didn't at least guess? "I won't tell anyone, but you know I can heal with water. If you're —er— achy, I could—"

She cut him off. "I'm fine, thank you." And it did seem that the session of crying had restored her to her good senses again. Zuka stood, wiping her unburned cheek dry again and straightening the hems of her tunic. "I'm going to my rooms. Good day, waterbender." She didn't wait for his reply, and turned on her heel and left.

Katarr watched her go, feeling a little dazed… a little like someone who had been out in the full glare of the sun for too long; sun struck. "Glad I could help," he murmured.

**********

There is a part 2 to this called Cycle written by Ashacrone. The link is in my profile.


End file.
